As the world teeters on the edge of environmental disaster, a pressing question hangs in the air: are we making enough progress in the fight against climate change? The answer, much like the planet’s future, is far from certain. The Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, was a historic milestone in the quest for climate treaty progress, but six years on, it’s time to take stock of our progress – or lack thereof.
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The Paris Agreement’s ambitious goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels is a tall order. However, the agreement’s success relies not just on individual country commitments, but also on the collective effort of governments, corporations, and civil society to drive systemic change. So, what’s the state of play?
On the plus side, the past year has seen several significant developments. In 2020, the European Union became the first major economy to commit to carbon neutrality by 2050, setting a high bar for other countries to follow. The United States, under the Biden administration, has rejoined the Paris Agreement, reversing the Trump-era withdrawal. And, in a rare show of international cooperation, the United States, China, and the European Union have launched a joint initiative to develop and deploy clean energy technologies.
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However, these successes are overshadowed by the scale and urgency of the crisis. Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, and the world is on track to miss the 1.5°C target by a wide margin. The latest science suggests that we have only about a decade to take drastic action to avoid catastrophic climate change. The clock is ticking, and the pressure is mounting.
So, what’s holding us back? One major obstacle is the lack of ambition in many countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which outline their plans to reduce emissions. Many NDCs are woefully inadequate, and even those that are more ambitious often rely on unproven technologies or overly optimistic assumptions. The gap between current NDCs and the Paris Agreement’s goals is staggering, with some estimates suggesting that a 10-fold increase in ambition is needed to stay on track.
Another challenge is the uneven distribution of climate finance. Developing countries, which are often the most vulnerable to climate change, are struggling to access the funding they need to transition to low-carbon economies. The Green Climate Fund, established to support climate action in developing countries, has been hindered by bureaucratic delays and inadequate funding.
Despite these challenges, there are reasons to be hopeful. The climate movement has never been more global, with millions of people taking to the streets to demand action. Renewable energy costs are plummeting, making clean energy more competitive with fossil fuels. And, in a growing number of countries, climate action is becoming a central plank of economic policy, with governments recognizing the benefits of a low-carbon economy.
The question remains: can we still save the planet? The answer is not a simple yes or no. What’s clear is that we need to do more, and we need to do it faster. The climate treaty progress we’ve made so far is just the beginning. We need to accelerate our efforts, mobilize new sources of finance, and address the systemic barriers that are holding us back. The clock is ticking, and the planet is counting on us.
